Aliphatic polycarbonates (APCs) have utility as polyol building blocks for the construction of co-polymers such as plastics, adhesives, polymeric coatings and surfactants among others. Such polycarbonates may be made from renewable feedstocks (e.g., carbon dioxide) to prepare sustainably sourced coatings for use in various consumer applications.
To have utility in these applications, it is preferable that polycarbonate polymer chain ends terminate with hydroxyl groups. Other desirable characteristics for these polycarbonate polyols include relatively low molecular weight oligomers (e.g., having an average molecular weight number (Mn) between about 500 and about 15,000 g/mol), a narrowly defined molecular weight distribution (e.g., a polydispersity index les than 2), and for certain applications, minimal ether linkages in the polycarbonate chain. Strategies have been developed, with some success, to achieve hydroxyl-terminated polycarbonates that have one or more of these desired characteristics. However, in many cases it can be difficult to determine a priori which combination of polycarbonate polyol characteristics is optimal for a given application. Against this backdrop, the present invention provides new insights and strategies for the provision of improved polycarbonate polyol compositions.